The present invention relates to a video game apparatus, and more particularly it relates to a video game apparatus which can automatically adjust the relative difficulty of the game in accordance with the skill of the player.
In general, the progress of a video game is carried out by manipulating an operation section such as button, lever, or the like, while looking at the picture image displayed on a CRT. The progress of the game is changed based upon whether the operating timing of the operation section is within a permissible time duration relative to the progress of the game, and the picture image displayed on the CRT is also changed accordingly. For example, if the operating timing is within the permissible time duration, a picture image for a success pattern is displayed, and if the operating timing is out of the permissible time duration, a picture image for a failure pattern is displayed.
These picture images for a video game are regenerated from graphic data stored in a storage device such as a laser disk, magnetic disk, or ROM cartridge. Since the storage capacity of each storage device is limited, the player becomes skillful in playing the game as he or she tries frequently. Therefore, for a skilled player, it is easy to make the operating timing of the operation section occur within the permissible time duration, and the player becomes tired of the game. While on the other hand, a beginner frequently fails in an earlier stage in the game progress, and there is no time to spare in enjoying the game. These problems result from the fact that the judgement of the operating timing of the operation section is made based upon a fixed permissible time duraioin, regardless of whether the player is an expert or a beginner.
The picture image for a game is changed either into a success pattern or a failure pattern, in accordance with the suitability of the operating timing of the operation section. In a conventional video game apparatus using a laser disk, a read-out head of the laser disk is moved to a preset position in accordance with a signal from a judgement means for judging the suitability of the operating timing of the operating section. In such a conventional apparatus, a display pattern for a failure in the game is likely to become uniform, and in addition, during a time while a read-out head is moved to a present position in the failure of the game, that is, so called access time, there arises a disadvantage that the display of the picture images is liable to be interrupted. Furtheremore, in a laser disk of the type in which graphic data for a success pattern and a failure pattern are alternately disposed in the disk, since the read out head must be passed over the region storing graphic data for the failure pattern every time the game is missed, the above described interruption in displaying picure images is likely to occur.